Saturday morning was a warm one; we were cutting/pulling heads off reed canary grass and thistles at Cranberry Slough. A handful of volunteers stayed deep into the afternoon; Joe, Margaret, Carolyn?

The next few weekends will be spent weed-chasing; yellow and white sweet clover, thistle, reed canary among them. It's not physically demanding work which is good as we segue into July and the heat of summer.

Meanwhile, Raquel Garcia-Alvarez from Volunteer Resources sent staff to Swallow Cliff on Saturday for the grand opening of the new building and staircase, and to the Hickory Hills Street Fair on Sunday, distributing information on the preserves and trying to spark interest in volunteering. We appreciate their help getting the word out.

Dignitaries present for the ribbon-cutting included President Toni Preckwinkle, Superintendent Arnold Randall, former commissioner Liz Gorman, Cook County Dept. of Public Health C.O.O. Dr. Terry Mason, and Palos Park mayor John Mahoney, all pictured in the final photo below.